


How to Picnic with a First Love and a Changed Heart

by Impala_Chick



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Couple invites a third, Friends to Lovers, Growth, Married Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Multi, OT3, POV Gwen (Merlin), Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 14:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20779910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: When Gwen, Arthur, and Merlin ride out of Camelot to enjoy a picnic on a bright spring day, Gwen doesn’t think it odd that the trip requires three instead of two.(Gwen has always loved Merlin, but it takes her awhile to realize what that could mean for her and Arthur)





	How to Picnic with a First Love and a Changed Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Impala_Chick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick) in the [iibb2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/iibb2019) collection. 

> I've finally conquered the id! Thanks so much to the Iddy mods for being so patient and understanding. I had fun exploring an idea I've been thinking about for awhile, even though it didn't get as long as originally planned.

When Gwen, Arthur, and Merlin ride out of Camelot to enjoy a picnic on a bright spring day, Gwen doesn’t think it odd that the trip requires three instead of two.

They laugh and trade barbs and flash Gwen teasing, happy smiles and Gwen feels her chest swell with happiness. Once they arrive at the appointed location, Arthur helps Gwen dismount while Merlin spreads out a large red picnic blanket. Gwen bites her lip when Arthur squeezes her hand briefly before letting her go. His doting has always made her feel special in a way she doesn’t think she deserves. 

He gestures to the blanket before he turns with a flourish to harangue Merlin about not unloading the basket fast enough. Gwen hears Merlin bark a laugh and give back as much flak as he’s getting. She carefully gathers her skirts to lower herself to the blanket to keep from marching over and unloading the basket herself. 

Arthur comes back to the blanket and sits down, his long legs stretched out next to hers. It doesn’t start to feel strange until she notices Merlin quietly step away to sit behind a tree. He slips out of sight and Arthur doesn’t mention it. She thinks it’s rather silly, because it’s not as if she or Arthur could ever forget that he came with them.

She refrains from calling Merlin over to join because she doesn’t want to make Arthur uncomfortable. 

But it bothers her that Merlin doesn't sit with them. She wonders why.

\---

When she first met Merlin, she was immediately drawn to him. He was locked in the stocks at the time, but he still smiled and managed to be witty and charming while in such a completely compromised position. Gwen knew that he was a boy she wanted to get to know.

She could tell from his sincerity that he wouldn’t judge her for being awkward or dark skinned or any of the other meaningless adjectives the other Castle servants liked to throw at her.

Merlin was a boy that deserved to know her. 

She met Arthur several times before he even remembered her name. Whenever he passed her in the corridors, she bowed demurely and he strode off like he was the most important person in all of Camelot. She knew she wasn’t supposed to look him in the eye, but sometimes she did anyway. She hardly ever caught him looking back. It was as if servants were interchangeable to him. Aside from his nursemaid and the person who helped him get dressed, he hardly spoke to anyone else.

Once Gwen was chosen as Morgana’s maid, things changed for Gwen. Even though she was still an adolescent, the castle staff respected her and went to her for information or news. And best of all, Morgana started to treat her less like a servant and more like a friend rather quickly. 

Gwen loved that she was allowed into the throne room during meetings, and she attended every state dinner and event with Morgana. Gwen felt herself beam with pride whenever Morgana spoke up on behalf of those in Camelot who do not have a voice. Over time, Gwen understood that she wasn’t just a servant. Protecting Morgana was a worthy occupation. 

She didn’t feel that way about Arthur. 

He always seemed to keep his head down, following along with whatever it is Uther had decided. When he wasn’t taking orders, he was crushing his opponents on the training field without sparing a thought for the safety or wellbeing of those less skilled than he.

Gwen didn’t see how he could ever change. 

But she didn’t think Morgana would ever change, either.

\---

The evening after the picnic, she and Arthur are laying in bed together. Two candles still burn and give the room a soft golden glow. Arthur is reading a grain report that Leon left in his chambers and Gwen is reading the last bit of a fairytale she borrowed from Merlin.

Arthur lowers the parchment with a soft crinkle and turns his shoulders towards her. Gwen can feel his eyes on her but she finishes the sentence she’s on before she lets the book rest on her lap.

“What is it, husband?” She asks quietly.

He looks at her with his lips pressed together for a moment, as if he’s unsure about what he’s about to say. She feels tension leak into the air and she braces for bad news.

“I want to make you happy,” he says slowly.

“You do,” she says quickly. And she means it. She has no idea what Arthur is referring to.

Arthur looks down at the blanket covering his lap and smoothes it with his hand before taking a deep breath.

“No, I mean sexually. I have heard that women should… that you should feel more pleasure than I do. But I don’t know if that has happened.” His voice is small and worried, and Gwen feels a rush of affection seize her. His worry proves how much he cares.

Gwen shakes her head and grabs his hand to squeeze it.

“My Lord, you pleasure me enough.” She uses the title to tease him a bit, but he doesn’t crack a smile. She wonders what makes him think he is inadequate, and she reviews their last few sexual encounters in her mind. She cannot recall a time that Arthur was displeasing, but no completely soul-shaking moments surface either.

“What do you fantasize about?” He changes tactics as he brings her hand up to his lips. He presses a kiss there as he waits for her answer.

The memory of Merlin hiding behind the tree flashes in Gwen’s mind. She shakes her head, annoyed at the unsolicited image of Merlin’s shy smile, dark hair, and full pink lips. 

“It’s okay if it’s Lancelot, sometimes,” Arthur whispers. Gwen’s heart nearly breaks when she realizes just how far their relationship has progressed for Arthur to say that and mean it. And he seems to mean it with the way he’s gazing at her with no fear in his eyes. 

She’s also just a bit surprised she hadn’t thought of him first. 

“No,” Gwen breathes. “It’s not him. I just wonder what it would be like if we invited another. Someone we both trust.”

Arthur considers it for a moment with his head cocked. He lowers her hand back to the bed.

“Maybe,” he says simply.

She wonders whether it’s telling that he does not ask if she has someone specific in mind.

\---

Gwen only realized Arthur could change when he decided to come to the aid of Merlin and Ealdor.

She watched him organize the villagers and implement a training routine. He worked as hard as they did and showed a diligent effort to teach them for as long as he could. He was kind and patient even when he did not have to be. He seemed to value people aside from their rank or privilege. 

And then he refused to eat the porridge Merlin’s mum prepared for them and she thought, there was the child prince she knew.

She scolded him before she could stop herself. The surprising part was when he actually seemed to listen to her. 

Later, she realized she didn’t want to keep treating him like a child. He should listen to her without her having to resort to such nagging. Better yet, he should have known from the beginning what was right and what was wrong. But there was no time to discuss such matters with Prince Arthur. He had villagers to command.

As the battle neared, Gwen worried for Merlin and his mother. Above everything else, neither of them deserved to be hurt any more than they already had. She stayed up all night with Morgana sharpening blades and preparing mail, trying to dissipate the cloud of doom that had descended over Ealdor.

When the raiders finally came, Gwen gripped her sword and fought like she was trying to save her own mother. All of the women of Ealdor were worthy warriors, and she knew she did the right thing by standing up for them. Gwen was not surprised when Morgana made her proud, nor was she surprised when Arthur nearly got himself killed.

But she was surprised when Merlin defied her expectations. He used his sword deftly and struck at his opponents with as much strength as a man twice as broad-shouldered as he was. She had been foolish to ever think he was soft.

When the huge wind storm ripped through the village and saved them all, Gwen looked over and saw Merlin’s hand raised defiantly. The lines of his body were hard and tense even after the wind had stopped.

Will sacrificed himself for Arthur in the blink of an eye, and Gwen wasn’t sure how to feel about such a brave, stupid move. A commoner thought his life was worth less than a Prince’s, and Gwen can’t be sure that Arthur understood that kind of sacrifice. 

While Will burned on the pyre, Gwen looked at Merlin’s crestfallen face and drawn shoulders and she could see the weight of the world resting there. She knew that somehow, Merlin was the one who saved them all.

As she looked over at Arthur, he put a comforting hand on Merlin’s shoulder for a brief moment before leaving him be. 

Maybe Arthur did not understand what had happened or why Will had done what he’d done, but it seemed as if he was trying to.

\---

Merlin walks into Arthur’s chambers with a basket of fresh laundry and a cheeky smile for Gwen when he sees her. He knows he’s not going to be able to get Gwen to leave. She doesn’t do many of the things she used to do around the castle, but not for lack of trying. Merlin reminds all of the servants that Gwen is not a servant anymore, and Queens aren’t supposed to make beds or do dishes. 

Truth be told, she would much rather help Arthur with the intricacies of running a Kingdom anyway. But making her husband’s bed reminds her that she is not of royal blood and that it is a privilege to be the Queen.

And she gets to spend more time with Merlin.

Gwen thinks about her conversation with Arthur as she and Merlin work alongside each other. She wonders if Merlin would be appalled by the notion. There is only one way to find out.

She chooses a slightly less direct question at first.

“Do you think Arthur has changed?” She asks as she tugs down a corner of the white bed linen.

He continues tucking in his corner of the sheet, but he scrunches up his face in confusion.

“Since he’s been married to you?” Merlin asks.

“Since he was a Prince,” she clarifies.

Merlin snorts and looks out the window of Arthur’s room, as if reminiscing. She wonders what memories have surfaced for him.

“Yes, absolutely,” he says as he looks back at her.

“I agree. But then the question is, why?” She’s finished with her side of the bed, so she reaches down to pull the heavy red blanket from the basket.

“Does it matter?” Merlin says. “We’ve all changed since we were young.”

She lifts the blanket and fans it out across the bed. Merlin catches one side of it and looks at her over the bed, puzzled.

“But Arthur hasn’t just grown up. He’s changed his worldview. He’s had to fight against every belief Uther instilled in him. And I think he should thank you for showing him the way,” she says as she looks pointedly at Merlin. He ducks from her gaze and color rises in his cheeks. Gwen is glad to see that this truth embarrasses him. Maybe it means that he’s thought about this very thing before, but had already made up his mind never to say it aloud.

“I did not influence him alone, Gwen. He respects us both,” Merlin says as he fiddles with the blanket and hunches his shoulders.

Gwen quickly walks around the bed to take Merlin’s hand.

“I did not say it because I am jealous. I said it because I believe you mean more to both of us than we usually dare to admit,” she says as she runs her thumb along the knuckles of Merlin’s hand.

She feels Merlin tense under her touch, but he does not pull away. He looks up at her with his clear blue eyes and bites his bottom lip.

“Thank you,” he says quietly. He raises her hand and she watches his plump lips press against her skin, warm and delicate.

“Shall we finish making the royal prat’s bed?” He says lightly as he gestures back to the sheets.

She laughs as they get back to work, swapping Castle gossip and discussing plans for the upcoming banquet. It almost feels as if neither of them have changed, even though Gwen knows that is far from true.

\---

When Vivian arrived in Camelot, Gwen realized just how foolish she’d been to believe that there was hope for her and Arthur. 

She had grown up in the Castle and knew firsthand how important every social rule of Camelot was to Uther. He treated social rules as if they were sacred and he expected Arthur to do the same. Both Gwen and Arthur had maintained a certain distance from each other so as to play by the rules. After all, propriety was the only thing that separated those of noble blood from the depraved sorcerers who threatened to overrun Camelot. 

It still hurt when Arthur cast her aside like she meant nothing to him.

Merlin would not let her give up, though. 

When Merlin told her that she was the only one who could save Arthur, she’d thought him mad. But something happened when she kissed Arthur, something she wouldn’t come to understand until much later. When Arthur had dipped her gently and captured her lips again, her heart soared from the sheer purity of his affections.

But afterwards, the kiss was not enough to wash away the hurt Arthur had caused her. Besides, she had seen the backlash he’d faced when he tried to be with a girl his father disapproved of. She knew it could only be worse if the girl in question was a servant.

The future became clear to her. She was not meant to be by Arthur’s side and it was best that she remembered that. 

She wore her sadness like a cloak around the castle, careful to avoid Arthur or any conversation that reminded him of her. Once she was holding back her own sadness, she recognized the same of Merlin. Darkness lurked around the corners of Merlin’s smile and kept his eyes from lighting up the way they used to. 

And if Merlin hadn’t already told her what was bothering him, it must have involved something close to his heart. Merlin hardly ever divulged his heart’s deepest secrets, even to her.

The sadness followed him around like a shroud and Gwen thought they made a rather sorrowful pair as they trudged down to the laundry bin. It wouldn’t do to wollow so long alone. Not to mention it would make doing the laundry significantly less fun.

“I know something is bothering you,” she said as she bumped her basket against his. “I’ll tell if you’ll tell.”

“That’s not fair. I know exactly who you’re thinking about,” he said with a small, knowing smile.

“I don’t just think about Arthur all the time, you know,” she groused. 

“I know, Gwen. I didn’t mean anything by it.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked over at her with an apologetic look on his face.

She hadn’t meant to upset him, nor had she wanted to talk about Arthur. She just knew how grief or sadness could tear a person up and hollow them out. She didn’t want to imagine Merlin like that, when he was naturally so full of light.

“It’s okay. I just wanted you to know that you could talk about it with me. You don’t have to carry whatever it is on your own.” 

Merlin stopped walking and rested the basket against his hip. He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought about what to say. Gwen paused, suddenly anxious about what Merlin was preparing to divulge. The stiffness of his spine and the tension in his shoulders suggested that his truth was not going to be easy to hear. As the one who asked him to open up, she prepared herself to really hear him. And to bear his burden with him.

“My first… well. My first love. Freya. She died,” Merlin said, his voice trembling a little at the end.

Gwen’s heart shattered as she looked at Merlin’s dark eyes. The truth was worse than she could have imagined. Silent tears dropped from his lashes as Gwen hastily put down her laundry basket.

“I’m so sorry.” Gwen took Merlin’s basket from his shaking hands and put it on the ground. She pulled Merlin into a hug and he pressed his nose against her neck with a heavy breath. 

She held him like that for a beat longer before pulling back and squeezing his hand. She was ready to give him as much time as he needed.

“I’ll be fine,” he said slowly. “It just feels so… recent. Like she was here a moment ago, and now she’s not. And I’ll always wonder what might have been.”

“That’s the thing with first loves, isn’t it?” Gwen said with a sad smile. Merlin huffed a laugh before he bent down to retrieve his basket. Gwen patted him on the arm before she did the same, and they continued down the hall side by side.

“So who was yours?” Merlin asked as he jostled her with his elbow. She was so grateful to see him smiling again that she missed the point of his question.

“My what?”

“Your first love. C’mon, you made me spill my guts already,” Merlin teased, his eyes still a bit shiny from the tears. 

Suddenly, Gwen felt ice shoot through her veins. She hadn’t considered that turnabout was fair play. Technically she hadn’t asked Merlin for her name, but he’d felt comfortable enough to tell her. He’d entrusted her with something he probably hadn’t told anyone else. She looked over at Merlin with wide eyes, unsure if she should divulege a truth she’d kept close to her heart for so long. But she felt like she owed this to him.

“You,” she admitted. 

She tried to make her voice sound light. Merlin’s pace faltered and he nearly dropped the basket. So he hadn’t known, then.

“Oh,” he said. After a moment, he continued. “Well, your kiss wasn’t half bad.”

She dared to look over at him then, and he was smiling. He was always good at disbursing tension when he wanted to. 

“Oh, I’m sure.” She rolled her eyes and bumped Merlin with her basket, grateful for the opportunity he’d given her to keep things as they were between them. 

“No, really. Nothing like being nearly dead to get you in the mood.” He laughed as they reached the wash bin, and Gwen couldn’t help but laugh too.

\---

She and Arthur are readying themselves for a banquet being held to honor the ambassador from Mercia, when next Arthur broaches the delicate subject. 

She holds up the front of her purple dress and turns around so that Arthur can grab the dangling strings of her corset.

“Remember when you thought about bringing in a third?” His voice is hesitant but his hands are sure as she tightens the laces.

“Yes,” she says, ever-patient. She knows that if Arthur wants this, he’ll have to come to terms with it himself first.

“Would it change us?” He asks, pausing in his work.

“I think it might,” she answers honestly. “But in a good way. Love is not a finite resource. It takes practice and patience but once you understand it, there can be more than one person you share love with.”

He hums and resumes tying up a knot at the back of her dress. She turns around once Arthur is done and presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“How did you become so wise?” He asks as he leans down for a proper kiss. She relishes the warmth of his mouth and the comfort of his strong arms holding her close. She knows if this is all she could ever have, she would be a happy Queen. But if Arthur is asking questions, he’s at least considering the possibility that both of them could have more, feel _more_. She’s never been more grateful that Arthur is an ambitious King.

Arthur turns away to grab his sword belt from the table.

“Before, you were talking about Merlin?” Arthur says cautiously while he’s facing away from her.

“Yes,” Gwen says as she watches Arthur fiddle with the belt buckle. “You know, I kissed him once.”

“Really?” Arthur looks over at her with sparkling eyes. A sly grin graces his face, and she’s pleased to discover that he’s amused. 

“It was just after he’d arrived in Camelot. When I thought he was going to die. It was a silly thing for me to do,” she explains with a laugh.

He steps up to her and puts his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sure he didn’t think it was silly.”

He looks so earnest that she stops laughing. She feels slightly embarrassed thinking about the situation now. She hadn’t meant it as a joke back then, and she knows that Merlin knows that. It all seemed rather funny later though, when she and Merlin had joked about it. 

He turns away to pull his cloak from the back of his chair and Gwen sneaks an opportunity to admire Arthur’s Kingly ass. This conversation is already giving her so many ideas but if patience is what is required of her, than patient she will be.

“I have thought about… what it would be like. With a man,” Arthur allows. Gwen looks up at him and his flushed cheeks, grateful that he’s willing to expose himself so much to her. He doesn’t look scared, so she presses him. 

“With Merlin?” She can intuit the answer from the embarrassment evident on Arthur’s face, but they’ll never be ready to invite Merlin into such a vulnerable place with them if they can’t even talk about him.

“Yes.” He nods and ducks his head, his fingers fiddling with the ties of his cloak.

“Am I correct in assuming you’ve talked to him about this already?” Arthur asks, his voice curious instead of accusing.

“Not in so many words,” she says as she smooths her dress.

“Well, you may.” He gets her crown from atop the dresser and places it on her head, his smile open and honest.

“And what will I be talking to him about, Sire?” Gwen is pleased by what he has proposed, but she wants to ensure he doesn’t feel as if he’s losing control. This is as much his decision as it is hers.

Arthur takes her hand and kneels at her feet, like when he’d asked her to marry him. He pauses with his lips parted and his eyes soft, and she savors how serious and heartfelt the moment feels.

“I want you to talk to him about your desires. And I know that he trusts you enough to share his,” Arthur says as he watches her. 

She pulls him to his feet and gets his Crown for him. His clear blue eyes follow her movements, and when she turns back to him, he’s standing like the sovereign he is. His shoulders are squared, his bright red cloak is rustling slightly in the breeze from the window, and his hair is golden from the fading light. With the weight of the Pendragon dynasty in her hands, she looks up at the man she loves and wonders, is it safe to love another just as much? Is it safe to risk the crown for idle adolescent fantasies?

But it’s Merlin.

The safest hands have always been his.

\---

As fire rained down upon Camelot, it seemed as if all hope had been lost. Gwen had lost count of the number of reddened and swollen skin she’d tried to bandage. It was impossible to escape the putrid scent of burned flesh. Even Gaius seemed overwhelmed as he paced about the Great Hall with his hair covering his face and his hands shaking.

She knew about Arthur’s plan to face the Dragon and she also knew that Merlin would not let him go alone. Once they’d gone, she was grateful that there was a Castle full of people to aid. The people of Camelot needed gentle hands and cool water and clean bandages, and those were things she could deliver. These tasks kept her mind off of the thousands of questions that threatened to spill out of her, at least for a time. 

_What if Arthur did not return?_

_What if Merlin did not return?_

_How could one live without the other?_

_How could she live without them both?_

Waiting in the Great Hall surrounded by the dead and dying, she silently wished the men she loved were just a little less heroic. 

Time became meaningless as the waiting dragged on. She didn’t know if it a blessing or a curse that the Dragon had not returned. 

Sitting alone on the steps of the darkened corridor made it easy for Gwen’s mind to conjure up endless horrors, but she had grown tired of pacing about the halls while others slept. 

Her thoughts strayed to Lancelot. She sometimes wondered where he was or how he was doing. He’d made a life by the sword and she could never fault him for doing what he must. She felt that she and Lancelot were alike in that regard, very good at survival and adaptation. That didn’t change the fact that he had chosen such heroics over some kind of life with her, in Camelot. He hadn’t even given a relationship a chance to take root. Being brave and kind and talented meant nothing if you had no one to share it with.

But Merlin and Arthur and Lancelot had something in common. Their bravery, surely. But Arthur was defined by his love of country, and Merlin was defined by his sense of right and wrong, and these things made them entirely different from Lancelot. Those things made it clear that Merlin and Arthur weren't going anywhere Gwen couldn't follow.

She had always known Merlin to be courageous and she’d come to learn of the depths of Arthur’s devotion to Camelot that year. So it was not a surprise that at its darkest hour, Camelot’s fate rested with the two of them.

Arthur and Merlin were blessed with purpose. And Gwen shared in that purpose. She was proud to be apart of the Kingdom they were building. But she hated standing by and letting Arthur’s fate rest in Merlin’s hands.

She returned to the great hall and saw some of the people clamoring to the windows to look outside. 

“He has returned,” someone shouted.

Gwen dashed for the courtyard, Gaius on her heels.

She shouldn’t have doubted them. 

Smoke curled around their feet as Arthur and Merlin emerged from the shadows, side by side. Arthur seemed larger than life with his gleaming armor and blood-flecked face. Gwen outstretched her arms and ran to Arthur first, her heart soaring with pride and relief both.

She pressed her face to his sweat-matted hair and cried tears of joy as he clung to her. 

That was the first time it occurred to her that it was odd to leave Merlin out of her and Arthur’s intimate moment. She was sure that Merlin was the reason Arthur was safe, and yet she had devoted her affections to Arthur alone.

\---

Once the dishes are cleared and most of the banquet guests are seen to their rooms, Gwen beckons for Merlin to come with her.

Arthur is busy saying goodnight to the ambassador and walking him to his room, but he nods at both of them when they pass him in the hall.

Merlin shoots a quizzical look at Gwen with one eyebrow raised, but he doesn’t say anything until they are both in Arthur’s chambers. 

“My Queen, please tell me that you have news to share. Because that banquet was quite boring,” Merlin grouses. 

Gwen ensures that the doors are shut before she turns to Merlin and reaches out for his hand. He grabs it and his expression shifts to one of mirth and understanding.

“Ah, except for the way Arthur was looking at you. He didn’t seem bored in the least.” Merlin was teasing her and complementing her, which is very much his style. She smiles at him and gathers herself for what she wants to say next. 

There have been many nights were Merlin and Gwen trade stories about Arthur. Merlin often lets Gwen discuss the intricacies of marriage or plot ways to get Arthur to enjoy some down time. Merlin has never shown a distaste for the subject before, but Gwen is about to tip the scales.

“And did you not see the way Arthur was looking at you?” 

Merlin drops her hand and his face pales.

“Gwen, I’ve told you. I don’t want… It’s not like that -” 

Gwen silences him with gentle words and tries to stem his panic. “I know. But I am asking if you would like to share him. If you would like to share _us_.”

Merlin bites his bottom lip and scrubs a hand through his hair. He turns away from Gwen to stare at the fire, and she starts to worry that she’s put him off of it completely.

But she has learned a few things since living so long as Merlin’s best friend. So she waits.

“Are you talking about sharing your bed?” He turns towards her as he says it. His eyes are honest and considering, and he doesn’t look fearful or disgusted. She sees an invitation to continue in the relaxed way he’s standing.

“It could be that. But I want you to be included. Arthur’s the one who brought it up, really. He said to talk with you about what I desire. And I just think it would feel right, to have you with us. In whatever way you would like.” Gwen does her best to explain, but the words sound a bit muddied even to her own ears. 

Merlin smiles softly and takes a step towards her. Maybe he understands anyway. 

“Gwen, I feel so honored that you would trust me with something like this.” He takes her hand and squeezes it, and his skin is warm from the fire. 

“There’s no one we trust more,” she says honestly. She’s pleased that Merlin is at least amenable to the arrangement and is ready to share more ideas with Merlin, but Arthur bursts in with his sword clattering against his leg.

“Has he -” Arthur stops in his tracks when he sees that Merlin is still in the room. Merlin and Gwen turn to face him with their hands clasped together. 

Arthur’s eyes are wide as he catches his breath, but he smiles softly at the two of them. 

“He has,” Merlin says, ever the witty one. Gwen squeezes his hand and suppresses her laughter as Arthur crosses his arms.

“Cocky already?” Arthur teases as he licks his bottom lip.

“We can give this a try. Make it what we want,” Gwen says. She can’t keep the excitement out of her voice. She looks over at Merlin, who nods approvingly.

And then an excellent idea occurs to her.

“Starting with a proper picnic. Tomorrow.” 

Understanding blooms across Merlin’s face and he beams at her. Arthur quirks his eyebrow in puzzlement, but his cheeks start to flush as he considers it. Gwen is thankful he hasn’t shot down the idea, considering she hadn’t actually pitched that to him before.

“As if you have to woo me, Gwen. I already love you,” he says as he looks down at her. He presses his lips to her cheek for a simple kiss and she giggles from the unexpected rush of affection.

Merlin releases her hand and walks over to Arthur, who still hasn’t uncrossed his arms.

“Just so you know, I’m not handling the picnic basket tomorrow.” And then he leans over and kisses Arthur on the cheek, too. 

Arthur squawks indignantly and glances over at Gwen. She can’t tell if he’s looking for approval or condescension, but she gives him neither. She just props her hip against the table and trusts that Merlin knows what he’s doing. She hopes her affection for them both is plain on her face.

“Goodnight, Pendragons,” Merlin says politely. And then he dashes out of the room.

Gwen’s heart is beating wildly in her chest as she watches him go, and she looks over at her husband. His eyes are wide like he’s nervous but he’s smiling like he’s willing to try this anyway. She thinks, maybe Arthur was right. Maybe they can have more.


End file.
